All That Jazz: Brunch at City Winery

Brunch at City Winery is pretty awesome already, but on the second Sundays of August (9th) and September (13th) this summer, they are featuring PJ Rasmussen and the Boardwalk Jazz Band for a special brunch event. Their 21 piece ensemble, with 4 vocalists, plays original music with a simple mission: “Jazz is music to make the heart race, the blood pump, and the feet move.”

PJ Rasmussen (guitar) and the Boardwalk Jazz Band

This brunch is recommended as a date (or friend-date) spot or for a small group outing. The setting is casual, romantic and majestic all at once, and feels different from your typical restaurant given the entertainment. PJ Rasmussen and the Boardwalk Jazz Band put on an enjoyable show with great vocals that simultaneously provided a focal point and the perfect background for brunch conversation.

Oh, and the food? The food is pretty great too. We tried the French toast, which was doughy perfection—one of the top French toasts we’ve actually ever enjoyed. I savored each soft bite as it melted away in my mouth. The eggs florentine was great too, featuring runny yolk poached eggs and buttery hollandaise that was great with the roasted potatoes as well.

Breakfast not your thing? In addition to several breakfast options, the menu offers a range of lunch-friendly fare from tasty looking flatbreads to sandwiches like the half-pound “LaFrieda” burger and a Fried Chicken sandwich with spicy honey and avocado. For our next visit we’re anxious to try the Burrata with pickled peaches and arugula pesto as well as the Potato Pancakes with house-made apple sauce.

Although the food alone would be worth a visit, it’s the overall experience and light entertainment that makes this a special brunch to get away for a few hours and be transported to a jazzier place.

2 Comments so far ↓

Unfortunately, our experience at City Winery was not as pleasant. The wait staff, while friendly took far to long with only one other table in the venue, to stop by with a drink/coffee order. It took almost twice as long to get our drinks and we had to ask to have our coffee refilled. There were six of us, one order was for the special, four ordered the eggs Benedict and a the sixth person got steak and eggs. The eggs were cold, the Hollandaise was colder. I wanted to enjoy it but everything was cooked and reheated. Too long for cold food! Disappointed